After drawing their first two matches in the Nationale league, Stade Niçois secured their first victory of the season at home against Chambéry (23-14). A win that was far from convincing but allows David Bolgashvili’s players to recover before two challenging away games.
This victory was eagerly awaited. After coming so close to a home win against SC Albigeois (13-13) and another away at Tarbes (16-16), Stade Niçois were finally rewarded for their efforts by defeating Chambéry with a score of 23-14. A match where not all game tactics were fully honed, but this victory certainly provides hope to the club.
Nice takes the lead in the first half
After a missed penalty kick from each side by Matthew James (Nice) and Dylan Nocete (Chambéry), the score remained neutral after 10 minutes. It took until the 15th minute for Louis Martin to score the first try for Stade Niçois.
The hooker concluded a barrage series 5 meters from the Chambéry goal line. Try converted by James and Nice instantly leads 7-0 after less than 20 minutes. But the Chambéry players refused to give up. Yann Caillat reduced the gap with a penalty, 7-3 at the 26th minute. However, Nice restored a 7-point lead thanks to James’ boot. 10-3 after 33 minutes of play, and the hosts didn’t stop there.
Two minutes before halftime, Nice extended their lead thanks to Pacôme Gougeon. After a break down the right wing, the winger kicked ahead, sprinted to ground the ball in the try zone. The score inflated to 17-3 after another successful conversion by James. And it was with this score that both teams went to the break.
The Azuréens dominant until the end
Back on the field, the score moved to 17-6 thanks to Caillat. Then, James, after missing a second penalty, added 3 points, 20-6 for Nice after 54 minutes. However, the match was far from over. After bravely defending in their own half, the Niçois could not prevent Justin Phillipps from diving to score the first try for the Chambéry team at the hour mark. Conversion from the corner missed by Caillat, the visitors cut the deficit to 9 points, 20-11.
Despite this turn of events, the Niçois put in a solid performance, exemplified by center Julien Fritz. They even won a penalty 10 minutes before the final whistle, successfully taken by James, 23-11, almost putting them out of reach.
Caillat added 3 points, bringing the score to 23-14 with little time left on the clock. Running out of resources, the Chambéry team tried to secure a defensive bonus with a final penalty relatively far from the Niçois posts. Unfortunately for Lionel Grand’s men, it was a failure.
The referee blew the final whistle. Stade Niçois secured their first victory, albeit with difficulty. A win that comes at the right moment before the club’s next two away games.
Moreover, Matthew James and Pacôme Gougeon seem in agreement: “We needed this home victory to jumpstart our season. We control the game but aren’t putting enough speed into it. We lose a bit of our composure in the second half, but above all, we must remember the win.”
“It was important to win this third match. We had a good first half, but again, we create opportunities that we fail to convert. The victory is there, but we still have work to do.”
In the next championship rounds, Stade Niçois will play away twice, facing Massy and Aubenas on October 4 and 18 respectively.
